Sept. 17, 1983

AP file photo

Vanessa Williams, then 20, becomes the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J. Less than a year later, she loses her crown when nude photos of her appear in Penthouse. That didn't stop her from launching a successful acting and singing career afterward, however. We'll overlook "Desperate Housewives."

Vanessa Williams, then 20, becomes the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J. Less than a year later, she loses her crown when nude photos of her appear in Penthouse. That didn't stop her from launching a successful acting and singing career afterward, however. We'll overlook "Desperate Housewives." (AP file photo)

Vanessa Williams, then 20, becomes the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J. Less than a year later, she loses her crown when nude photos of her appear in Penthouse. That didn't stop her from launching a successful acting and singing career afterward, however. We'll overlook "Desperate Housewives."